What is Green Building? Green building involves using resources efficiently and effectively while minimizing the building’s impact on human health as well as the environment. Three main goals of green building include decreasing environmental impact through the use of green chemistry in building materials, innovating by using resources such as air and water more efficiently, and by ultimately improving human health. The various methods and advantages of green building are exemplfied through the numerous environmental buildings in the United States. Environmental buildings can be certified through the Leadership and Energy Environmental Design Green Building Rating System (LEED), the accepted standard in environmental contstruction. The Need for Green Building One of the main reasons for the purpose of green building is to conserve resources by using them more effectively. According to the Energy Information Association, buildings consume 40% of the total amount of energy in the United States (Cassar, 2008). In terms of waste, the Environmental Protection Agency reports 136 million tons of waste generated by U.S. buildings. Even though 85% of this is reusable, only 20% is currently recycled (Unknown, 2008). In terms of water, 12.2% of the total water in the U.S. per day is consumed by buildings. The EPA reports that buildings account for 38% of the total carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere, thus increasing the detrimental effects of global warming. All of these areas of study exemplify the huge impact buildings have on the environment and the increasing levels of resource consumption in the United States. Methods of Green Building Some of the main ideas for reducing energy levels in buildings involve utilizing maximal solar heat during the winter and minimizing solar heat in the summer through passive solar design. This building technique uses principles like thermodynamics, convection, and thermal radiation to strategically places vents and windows in areas of residential buildings that maximize ventilation. This can eliminate or significantly reduce the need for mechanical systems of ventilation like traditional air-conditioning or heating systems. Other green building practices include residential windows facing the sun during the winter and using proper shading during the summer. Tree-shade effects along with other shading devices like fences, shudders, and shrubbery can also be used. Certain building materials like bamboo have proven to be extremely sustainable and renewable in LEED certified green construction. Thermal insulation of walls and windows is helpful in eliminating unwanted heat transfer through tiny cracks and holes in walls and ceilings.
Green roofs are a major growing contribution to green building. A green roof has a soil component grown over a waterproof material. Not only can fruit and vegetables be grown on them, but the green roofs can absorb nearly 75% of rainwater (Unknown, 2000). During times of heavy rainstorms, the runoff of water from roofs can be high. Green roofs, however, reduce this runoff and threrefore decrease levels of flooding by absorbing and then slowly releasing the water through condensation. During this process, the soil or vegetative component of the green roof retains the air pollutants, sort of like a sponge, so that they cannot be released into the atmosphere. An interesting phenomenon is the urban heat island effect, which is the idea of an urban city being warmer than its nearby rural areas due to excess heat release from energy resources. The green roof helps resist this phenomenon because of its cooling effect that shows a significant difference than the traditional rooftop, which absorbs sunlight and re-emits it as heat, thus making a city nearly 4 degrees Celsius warmer than its surroundings. The Chicago City Hall building, which contains a green roof, has roof temperatures 14-44 degrees lower than surrounding buildings (Unknown, 2000).
Other methods used for green power that conserve energy and reduce energy costs of buildings include the many types of renewable resources such as wind, solar, and hydro power. The main purpose of wind power that is relevant to green building is the conversion of wind into electricity through wind turbines. Specifically, the wind turns the blades on the turbine and converts kinetic energy into mechanical energy, which generates electricity.A reason why wind power is a desirable alternative is because it does not require fuel and therefore emits none of the harmful environmental gases like carbon dioxide or other air pollutants. By purchasing a 10kW wind turbine, 1.2 tons of air pollutants and 250 tons of greenhouse gases will be spared through out the course of the turbines operation (Cassar, 2008).
A solar thermal system is another method of green building that basically consists of a solar collector that can be located on the roof of a building and can transfer the heat from sunlight to a hot water tank. Since heat from the sunlight naturally decreases the need for gases necessary to create hot water, this technique not only spares tons of carbon dioxide emissions, but reduces the overall electric costs. The solar heating system is a popular method used in Hawaii. $90 million in electricity bills and 1.35 million barrels of imported oil are saved over the course of the operating system, which is enough oil to supply electricity to Honolulu for two full months (Apte, 2003).
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Solar Thermal Energy
Advantages of Green Building
According to the U.S. Green Building Council, an initial investment of $100,000 to incorporate green building features into a $5 million dollar project would result in savings of at least $1 million over the life of the building (Katz, 2009).Not only does green building incorporate energy and water efficient technologies while reducing environmental impact and improving long-term economic prosperity, but it also influences the health and performance of workers and students. For example, since green building involves building bigger windows and allowing the maximum amount of sunlight to be utilized, not only does this reduce electricity cost by conserving energy, but it can also influence a student’s performance in school. A case study that was conducted by PG&E measured the long term effects of natural lighting used in green schools. They concluded that classrooms with well-designed skylight helped improve test scores 19-20% faster than classrooms without the optimal windows and lighting (Rosenburg, 2003). More specifically, multiple years of schooling in daylit classrooms improved math and verbal scores 11-17%.
Another advantage of green building is its stimulation of the economy in terms of employment opportunities. Because of the current recession our economy faces today, there has been more focus on investing in green building and infrastructure. A study done by Political Economy Research shows that green building jobs are increasing and that a national green economic recovery plan investing $100 Billion over ten years for 6 infrastructure plans will create $2 millions jobs (Katz, 2009).
What is Green Building?
Green building involves using resources efficiently and effectively while minimizing the building’s impact on human health as well as the environment. Three main goals of green building include decreasing environmental impact through the use of green chemistry in building materials, innovating by using resources such as air and water more efficiently, and by ultimately improving human health. The various methods and advantages of green building are exemplfied through the numerous environmental buildings in the United States. Environmental buildings can be certified through the Leadership and Energy Environmental Design Green Building Rating System (LEED), the accepted standard in environmental contstruction.
The Need for Green Building
One of the main reasons for the purpose of green building is to conserve resources by using them more effectively. According to the Energy Information Association, buildings consume 40% of the total amount of energy in the United States (Cassar, 2008).
In terms of waste, the Environmental Protection Agency reports 136 million tons of waste generated by U.S. buildings. Even though 85% of this is reusable, only 20% is currently recycled (Unknown, 2008). In terms of water, 12.2% of the total water in the U.S. per day is consumed by buildings.
The EPA reports that buildings account for 38% of the total carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere, thus increasing the detrimental effects of global warming.
All of these areas of study exemplify the huge impact buildings have on the environment and the increasing levels of resource consumption in the United States.
Methods of Green Building
Some of the main ideas for reducing energy levels in buildings involve utilizing maximal solar heat during the winter and minimizing solar heat in the summer through passive solar design. This building technique uses principles like thermodynamics, convection, and thermal radiation to strategically places vents and windows in areas of residential buildings that maximize ventilation. This can eliminate or significantly reduce the need for mechanical systems of ventilation like traditional air-conditioning or heating systems. Other green building practices include residential windows facing the sun during the winter and using proper shading during the summer. Tree-shade effects along with other shading devices like fences, shudders, and shrubbery can also be used. Certain building materials like bamboo have proven to be extremely sustainable and renewable in LEED certified green construction. Thermal insulation of walls and windows is helpful in eliminating unwanted heat transfer through tiny cracks and holes in walls and ceilings.
Green roofs are a major growing contribution to green building. A green roof has a soil component grown over a waterproof material. Not only can fruit and vegetables be grown on them, but the green roofs can absorb nearly 75% of rainwater (Unknown, 2000). During times of heavy rainstorms, the runoff of water from roofs can be high. Green roofs, however, reduce this runoff and threrefore decrease levels of flooding by absorbing and then slowly releasing the water through condensation. During this process, the soil or vegetative component of the green roof retains the air pollutants, sort of like a sponge, so that they cannot be released into the atmosphere. An interesting phenomenon is the urban heat island effect, which is the idea of an urban city being warmer than its nearby rural areas due to excess heat release from energy resources. The green roof helps resist this phenomenon because of its cooling effect that shows a significant difference than the traditional rooftop, which absorbs sunlight and re-emits it as heat, thus making a city nearly 4 degrees Celsius warmer than its surroundings. The Chicago City Hall building, which contains a green roof, has roof temperatures 14-44 degrees lower than surrounding buildings (Unknown, 2000).
Other methods used for green power that conserve energy and reduce energy costs of buildings include the many types of renewable resources such as wind, solar, and hydro power. The main purpose of wind power that is relevant to green building is the conversion of wind into electricity through wind turbines. Specifically, the wind turns the blades on the turbine and converts kinetic energy into mechanical energy, which generates electricity. A reason why wind power is a desirable alternative is because it does not require fuel and therefore emits none of the harmful environmental gases like carbon dioxide or other air pollutants. By purchasing a 10kW wind turbine, 1.2 tons of air pollutants and 250 tons of greenhouse gases will be spared through out the course of the turbines operation (Cassar, 2008).
A solar thermal system is another method of green building that basically consists of a solar collector that can be located on the roof of a building and can transfer the heat from sunlight to a hot water tank. Since heat from the sunlight naturally decreases the need for gases necessary to create hot water, this technique not only spares tons of carbon dioxide emissions, but reduces the overall electric costs. The solar heating system is a popular method used in Hawaii. $90 million in electricity bills and 1.35 million barrels of imported oil are saved over the course of the operating system, which is enough oil to supply electricity to Honolulu for two full months (Apte, 2003).
Advantages of Green Building
According to the U.S. Green Building Council, an initial investment of $100,000 to incorporate green building features into a $5 million dollar project would result in savings of at least $1 million over the life of the building (Katz, 2009).Not only does green building incorporate energy and water efficient technologies while reducing environmental impact and improving long-term economic prosperity, but it also influences the health and performance of workers and students. For example, since green building involves building bigger windows and allowing the maximum amount of sunlight to be utilized, not only does this reduce electricity cost by conserving energy, but it can also influence a student’s performance in school. A case study that was conducted by PG&E measured the long term effects of natural lighting used in green schools. They concluded that classrooms with well-designed skylight helped improve test scores 19-20% faster than classrooms without the optimal windows and lighting (Rosenburg, 2003). More specifically, multiple years of schooling in daylit classrooms improved math and verbal scores 11-17%.
Another advantage of green building is its stimulation of the economy in terms of employment opportunities. Because of the current recession our economy faces today, there has been more focus on investing in green building and infrastructure. A study done by Political Economy Research shows that green building jobs are increasing and that a national green economic recovery plan investing $100 Billion over ten years for 6 infrastructure plans will create $2 millions jobs (Katz, 2009).
Works Cited
Apte, Joshua. “Future Advanced Windows for Zero-Energy Homes.” http://windows.lbl.gov/adv_Sys/ASHRAE%20Final%20Dynamic%20Windows.pdf (Apr. 2003).
Cassar, Chris. “Electric Power Flash.” Energy Information Association. http://tonto.eia.doe.gov/energy_in_brief/electricity.cfm. (Jul. 2008).
Katz, Ashley. “National Study Shows Green Building as Key part of America’s Economic Future.” U.S. Green Building Council. http://tinyurl.com/dm6bwg. (Jan. 2009).
Rosenburg, Lorna. “Benefits of Green Buildings.” Environmental Protection Agency. http://tinyurl.com/c3exmy (Mar. 2003).
Unknown author. “Here Comes Urban Heat.” Science @ Nasa. http://science.nasa.gov/headlines/y2000/essd16mar_1m.htm. (Mar, 2000).
Unknown author.“Why Build Green.” Environmental Protection Agency. http://www.epa.gov/greenbuilding/pubs/whybuild.htm (April, 2008).
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http://forestry.about.com/b/2007/07/06/is-bamboo-the-answer-to-our-worlds-environmental-problems.htm
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